I know I am new here but I feel that all women that have PCOS should be made aware of the fact that you may also develope endometrial hyperplasia if you and your Dr. don't stay on top of things. This condition is a thickening of the inner layer of tissue in the uterus and is also considered to be pre cancerous. I have just been diagnosed with what the GYN calls complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia and she sent me to a GYN/ Oncologist who explained that this condition is commonly and most often eventually diagnosed in women with PCOS. I have no idea why my Doctors never warned me that this could happen but now I am faced with having to decide between having a total hysterectomy or eventually developing endometrial cancer. Had anyone bothered to tell me this could happen instead of just giving me BCP's and leaving me uninformed then maybe it could have been caught early enough to have been reversed with the medical therapy that is avaible but it wasn't and now I am left to make a choice I am not really prepared to make. I have another appointment with another GYN/Oncologist soon for a 3rd opinion but I don't know what I will do if they say have the hysterecomy. Since my primary GYN has told me that if I don't have the hysterectomy she will no longer treat me because of the 25 - 30 % chance of it developing into endometrial cancer. Gotta love the age of CYA and it doesn't matter that the patient will suffer. So ladies please ask your doctors to help you watch out for this condition ( and don't let them tell you that the BCP's they have you on will help you prevent this condition. I am on yasmin and still developed it. ) don't let it creep up on you the way it has on me. I hope this helps you aviod finding yourselves in my position. Thanks for listening.
15 years ago I went through a similar situation....periods were totally irregular 2-3 months apart and then hemmoraghing....top resident doc said I would develop cancer if I didn't have them every month, did endo biopsies and put me on provera supposedly for life....worked great to regulate them BUT...they didn't tell me the side effects....MORE weight gain,hair growth, acne, etc....
argh....all the things I was dealing with already with pcos! Finally went off it all and started using natural progesterone to trigger the periods.
So has your doctor mentioned how you could have stayed on top of it? Tests, medications, etc?
I am not the OP, but to stay on on top of this, you need to make sure you frequently shed the lining of the uterus (have a period). Many doctors let patients go extended periods of time without a period, without inducing one with Provera or something. When this happens the lining builds and builds.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Hello all and Thanks for the replies. I think I may have found some hope. Just got an e-mail back from a PCOS Specialist here in my home state and he said that High insulin is one of the causes of endometrial hyperplasia. He has also said they have had good results by lowering insulin levels w/medication and treating the endometrium with high doses of progesterone if I want to save the uterus ( well huh yeah I do want to save everything I can please.) He thinks there may be an alternative but wants to see all my findings from the previous GYN and test my hormone levels and get another opinion from another GYN/Oncologist. All of which I am happy to provide since I have all of that in preparation for my appointment with the 2nd GYN/Oncologist anyway. So please wish me luck maybe I can get into see this new Doctor before the GYN/Oncologist or hopefully soon after. At least I now have hope and I would rather keep my reproductive system if I can since I am not sure my psyche can deal with having the hysterectomy. So thanks for listening and will keep you all as updated as I can.
yup my doctor gives me provera (progesterone pills) to bring on AF until i can mensturate on my own. having that thick lining build up can be really dangerous and cause cancer as the OP said.
I am not the OP, but to stay on on top of this, you need to make sure you frequently shed the lining of the uterus (have a period). Many doctors let patients go extended periods of time without a period, without inducing one with Provera or something. When this happens the lining builds and builds.
How long is too long not having a cycle? My Dr. has told me I should induce a cycle every 3 months. I wanted to know some opinions on this.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Shauna (23) Meds: Metformin-2000mg (Started 8/03/08) Provera (to start cycles) M/C- 05/16/06 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I believe that every three months is adequate and recommended by most docs. Beyond that is increasing the risk for cancer. Sadly, I have had doctors allow me to go 9-13 months without inducing.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Wow...when I was on the depo-provera I went almost 6 FULL YEARS without cycling!! *Sigh*...This is pretty overwhelming...
That's different Depo-Provera is just progesterone. It works the same way as the Mirena IUD in that the lining does not build up. When the lining doesn't build up, you don't have a risk of hyperplasia. Depo has other hormonal issues, but other progesterone-only forms of birth control are perfectly safe.
I'm glad the original poster got some reassurance from the specialist!
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. align=middle src= To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. width=430 height=115 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowScriptAccess="samedomain" wmode="transparent" quality="high" FlashVars="t1=&t2=Layla Marie is&b=13&c=0x666633&f=35&y=2008&m=8&d=19">
OMG that is scary. I am a little worried now. Especially that I do not have a period at all. I had one when I was ten and then another in my teens. I was on BCP for a while but haven't had a period in almost 2 years. I will be sure to talk to my fertility specialist about this now. I hope everything works out.
Thank you Colleen
ok so this freaks me out i didnt have acycle for almost 3 years and befor that i would only spot for about 12 hours mabey once or twice a year that went on for about 5 years i do cramp and have all the symptoms of a period just no period . i see the dr this wednsday is there a special test that i need to ask for so that i dont miss anything.i have been so scared that i am going to get cancer or some other prob. that is going to take all my chances away of ever having a child that is my life dream and i am not willing to give up yet. so if there is a test that i need to ask about can someone help me
__________________ Monica & Robert Married 14 years ttc diagnosed in 2000 4 fur babyies SissyLaLa 15yrs old,Missy 6yrs old,Samson 4years, and Smokey 2 years old 5 feather babies rainbow,pickel,omaly,julia
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I went in for what i can't remember but while i was there we discused the PCOS thing as well as the lack of periods. Well because it'd been so long she ordered an ultrasound to check the lining, which wasn't that thick but thick enough to make her order a uterine biopsy.....Everything came back normal. But let me tell you, i dont allow my period to go beyond 3 months with no period anymore.
I've been pretty lucky, between my own searching for info on PCOS as well as the dr's I've had, there has been a bad one here and there but for the most part they have been pretty good about making sure i'm attempting at a reglar period.
there is one thing i can't stress enough! QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUESTIONS! PLEASE ASK THEM! No matter how silly, or uncomfortable you feel, ask those questions, ask what the effects long term on the body are if you dont have this, or if you continue with this, ask about the medications you are being given why you are given those medications, what they will do. Ask ask ask!
I dont know and personally dont believe i will ever get back to having a period on my own. If i do, i'll dance naked in the streets. But in the mean time i take my provera like a good girl every 3 months.
But I'm glad to hear you did get some good news in all of this.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Just Another Warning 
